Musharraf willing, Sarabjit may get life

ISLAMABAD: There is a strong possibility that Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf may commute the death sentence of convicted Indian national Sarabjit Singh on the request of the Indian government.

According to well-placed government sources in Islamabad, a formal decision in this regard is likely to be announced after April 23 when Sarabjit’s family reaches Pakistan to meet him at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail.

The sources said Pakistan prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, on the intervention of PPP co-chairperson Asif Zardari, had directed law minister Farooq Naek to request the presidency to commute the death sentence of Sarabjit to life imprisonment in the best interest of the two countries.

Sources said the presidency, which had deferred the execution of the Indian, had given positive signals to the PM’s secretariat and that there was a possibility of Sarabjit getting a new lease of life. They, however, ruled out an early release, adding it was quite difficult for Musharraf, who has served the country for eight long years as the army chief.

Sarabjit’s lawyer Rana Abdul Hameed confirmed that Indian high commission officer SK Reddy met Sarabjit on Saturday.
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